Thursday, 24 May 2018

We ordered some carrots from our farmer and he brought us these monsters that were about 16 times the size we were expecting. Because they were so big, we roasted them slowly in the pizza oven. They came out beautifully. I like when the Italians string up chillies and dry them, so I ordered all these chillies, but it took so long to string them that I didn’t want to do any more, so I made a fermented chilli sauce instead. The carrots came in and everybody was complaining about the chillies taking up too much room, so one of our favourite dishes was born out of necessity and lack of space.

Roasted carrot salad ingredients

600 gm large heirloom carrots, longer carrots halved lengthways

60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

Lemon juice, to season

300 gm goat’s curd

¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

PEPPER SAUCE

2 red capsicums, split and seeds removed

7 large red chillies, seeds removed from half

60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil

CARAMELISED PUMPKIN SEEDS

15 ml sherry vinegar

15 gm caster sugar

50 gm pepitas

⅛ tsp ground caraway seeds

Roasted carrot salad preparation

For pepper sauce, preheat oven to 220°C. Roast capsicum and chillies on oven trays until softened and browned (20-25 minutes). Weigh roasted peppers and add one per cent of the weight in salt (for example, for 450gm roasted peppers, add 4.5gm salt), then blend in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a sterilised jar, add oil and seal. Use immediately or, preferably, leave to ferment at room temperature for 1 week.

For caramelised pumpkin seeds, preheat oven to 160°C. Combine sherry vinegar, sugar and 1 heaped tsp salt in a bowl. Add pepitas, stir to coat thoroughly, then bake on an oven tray lined with baking paper until golden brown (25-30 minutes). Cool, then break up pepitas, add caraway seeds and toss to combine. Store in an airtight container until required.

Increase oven to 220°C. Drizzle carrots with oil, season to taste and roast on a baking tray until tender and golden brown (30-35 minutes). Season to taste with salt and lemon juice.

Fold 50ml water into goat’s curd in a bowl, then slowly add extra-virgin olive oil, whisking to emulsify. Divide curd among dishes. Toss carrots in a bowl with 125ml pepper sauce (remainder will keep refrigerated for several months), parsley and pumpkin seeds. Top curd with carrot mixture and drizzle with olive oil to serve.

YOGHURT DRESSING

Lamb meatballs, risoni, yoghurt and cucumber preparation

For dressing, whisk yoghurt and whey in a bowl, slowly adding the oil until smooth. Add lemon juice, season to taste, then add a little water to thin to a drizzling consistency.

For meatballs, combine ingredients in a bowl with 2 tsp sea salt and 1½ tsp ground black pepper, then form into walnutsized balls (about 50gm each).

Cook risoni in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (7-8 minutes). Drain, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside to cool.

Wrap cucumbers in a clean tea towel and lightly crush with a rolling pin. Cut lengthwise at 1cm intervals, drain of excess juice and set aside.

Preheat oven to 170°C. Heat a frying pan over high heat, add remaining oil and brown meatballs in two batches (6-8 minutes per batch). Transfer to a baking dish and roast until cooked (8-10 minutes). Remove from oven and drizzle with a third of the lemon juice.

Combine risoni, spring onions, cucumber and half the mint in a bowl. Add remaining lemon juice and half the yoghurt, season to taste and toss to coat and combine. Divide risoni salad and meatballs among serving bowls, drizzle with remaining dressing and olive oil and scatter with dandelion leaves and remaining mint to serve.

Note: Dandelion leaves are available from farmer’s markets and select greengrocers. Biber salcasi, a red pepper paste, is available from Turkish and Middle Eastern grocers.

Wine suggestion: A textured and layered white matches well with this dish. The 2017 Borachio “Gold Tooth” sauvignon blanc blend from the Adelaide Hills, say.

Monday, 21 May 2018

Think of this as step up from a good old-fashioned glazed-fruit tart the sweet custard base has a slight caramel taste from rapadura sugar and then is topped with lightly glazed grapes. This tart is best assembled just before serving, but all the components can be prepped and ready to go beforehand.

Grape and rapadura tart ingredients

650 gm seedless red grapes (about 800gm with stalks)

50 gm caster sugar

60 ml (¼ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice

Juice of ½ lemon

Finely grated lemon rind and pure icing sugar, to serve

SWEET PASTRY

180 gm softened butter

40 gm (¼ cup) pure icing sugar, sifted

2 egg yolks

250 gm (1⅔ cups) plain flour

RAPADURA PASTRY CREAM

7 egg yolks

150 gm rapadura sugar

50 gm (⅓ cup) plain flour

600 ml milk

1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

Grape and rapadura tart preparation

For sweet pastry, beat butter in an electric mixer until pale, add sugar and stir to combine, then add yolks and 1 tbsp iced water and stir to combine. Sift in flour and stir to just combine, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead until it just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled (1 hour). Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface or between sheets of baking paper to a 32cm round. Line a buttered and floured 22cm-diameter, 5cm-high tart ring (see note) placed on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Trim edges, dock base with a fork and refrigerate to rest (1 hour).

Meanwhile, for pastry cream, whisk yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale, add flour and whisk to combine. Bring milk and vanilla to a simmer in a saucepan over high heat, add to yolk mixture, whisk to combine, then return to pan and whisk continuously over medium-high heat until bubbling and thick (2-4 minutes). Transfer to a bowl, cover surface directly with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to firm up (1 hour or overnight).

Combine grapes, sugar and orange and lemon juice in a wide saucepan over high heat and toss until sugar has dissolved and grapes are glossy, but not cooked (5 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, tossing occasionally, until chilled (30-40 minutes).

Preheat oven to 190°C. Blind-bake tart case until light golden (15-20 minutes). Remove paper and weights and bake until golden (5-10 minutes). Cool until just firm, then remove from tin and cool completely on a wire rack (30 minutes). 5 To serve, whisk pastry cream to soften, spoon or pipe into tart case, top with grapes and lemon rind and dust with icing sugar.

This recipe was based on one a Brazilian friend of mine showed me where he cooked tapioca with a salty cheese that was a bit like haloumi. I changed the cheese to Gorgonzola dolcelatte, which gives it all a funkier saltiness. Begin this recipe a day ahead to set the croquette mixture.

Gorgonzola croquettes and quince ketchup ingredients

Canola oil, for greasing and deep-frying

500 ml (2 cups) milk

150 gm tapioca pearls

150 gm haloumi, finely grated

40 gm Gorgonzola dolcelatte, crumbled

Espelette pepper, to serve (see note)

QUINCE KETCHUP

150 gm quince paste, at room temperature

50 ml balsamic vinegar

Gorgonzola croquettes and quince ketchup preparation

Oil a 25cm x 30cm tray and line with baking paper. Stir milk and tapioca pearls in a saucepan over very low heat until tapioca absorbs all the milk (6-8 minutes). Add the haloumi, stir until melted (4 minutes), then add Gorgonzola dolcelatte, season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper and stir to combine. Pour into tray, top with a lightly oiled piece of baking paper, oil-side down and press to spread evenly in tray. Cool (40 minutes), then refrigerate until firm (4 hours or overnight). Remove baking paper and leave uncovered to dry (overnight).

Turn tapioca out onto an oiled sheet of baking paper placed on a board. Remove top paper and cut tapioca into 3.5cm squares with a hot, wet knife.

Heat canola oil in a large, deep frying pan to 170°C. Fry croquettes, in batches and keeping space between each, and turn occasionally until light golden (1-1½ minutes any longer and they may burst). Drain on paper towels, season to taste and transfer to serving plates. Sprinkle with Espelette pepper and serve hot with quince ketchup.

Note: Espelette pepper, a French chilli powder. Substitute cayenne.Wine suggestion: A full and flavoursome white such as the 2017 Moonlit Forest Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley.

This tart is made with pâte brisée, a shortcrust pastry that works for sweet or savoury preparations. It’s not a sweet pastry, so it balances the sweetness of the caramel.

Salted-caramel macadamia tart with chocolate ganache ingredients

200 gm roasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

1 eggwhite, beaten, for brushing

Sea salt flakes, to serve

PÂTE BRISÉE

250 gm (1⅔ cups) plain flour

Pinch of caster sugar

125 gm chilled butter, diced

1 egg, plus 1 beaten eggwhite for brushing

SALTED CARAMEL

200 gm caster sugar

120 ml heavy cream (45% fat)

100 gm chilled unsalted butter, diced

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

300 gm dark chocolate (53%-60% cocoa solids), finely chopped

30 gm butter

250 ml (1 cup) pouring cream

1 tbsp liquid glucose

Salted-caramel macadamia tart with chocolate preparation

For pâte brisée, place flour on a work surface, add sugar and butter and rub in butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Add egg, 2 tbsp cold iced water and a pinch of salt and lightly knead with the heel of your hand until the pastry just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (2 hours). Knead briefly to bring pastry together, then roll out to a 32cm round on a lightly floured surface and line a 24cm-diameter loosebottomed fluted tart tin and refrigerate to rest (1 hour).

Preheat oven to 190°C. Blind-bake tart until golden on the edges (18-20 minutes), remove paper and weights and bake until golden and crisp (8-12 minutes). Brush base with eggwhite, bake for 1 minute to seal, then remove from oven and scatter macadamia nuts evenly over the base.

For salted caramel, stir sugar and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then brush down edges of pan with a wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals and cook, without stirring but swirling often when it starts to colour, until a golden-amber caramel forms (10-14 minutes). Add cream (be careful, hot caramel will spit), and stir until it comes together. Remove from heat and stir through butter and 1 tsp salt. Pour into the tart shell and refrigerate to cool (30-40 minutes; see note).

For chocolate ganache, place chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl and set aside. Bring cream and glucose to the boil in a saucepan, then pour over the chocolate, stirring to melt and combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool, stirring occasionally, until glossy (15 minutes). Pour the ganache over the salted caramel, then refrigerate or stand in a cool place until set (1 hour). Serve with flakes of sea salt scattered on top.

Note: If the weather is cool and dry, the tart can sit out to set; it will take about 2 hours.

Friday, 18 May 2018

Cime di rapa is a beautiful variety of turnip bred for its greens and mildly bitter, broccoli-like flower buds, rather than its roots. If you can’t find cime di rapa, the green tops of Japanese turnips are a great substitute. We’ve had adventures making orecchiette, the traditional accompaniment for cime di rapa, in our kitchen, and our 10-year-old, Heidi, was the only one to master the technique of scraping tiny bits of dough with the back of a knife to make the ‘little ears’. In the absence of a handy 10-year-old, dried orecchiette is a great idea.

Orecchiette with turnip tops, bacon and lemon ingredients

500 gm dried orecchiette

200 gm streaky bacon rashers,

thinly sliced

3 tsp olive oil

5 garlic cloves, finely

chopped

1 bunch cime di rapa

(see note), thinly sliced

Finely grated rind of

1 lemon, plus lemon

wedges to serve

20 gm finely grated parmesan

Orecchiette with turnip tops, bacon and lemon preparations

Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (10-15 minutes). Drain, reserving a little water.

Meanwhile, fry bacon with 1 tsp oil in a large frying pan over low heat, stirring often and increasing heat to high once fat has rendered, until crisp (5-6 minutes). Remove from pan, reduce heat to low, then add garlic to pan and fry until fragrant (1 minute). Add cime di rapa and enough reserved pasta water to loosen sauce (about 2-3 tbsp), then cook until greens are just wilted (1 minute). Add lemon rind and season to taste, then add drained pasta, bacon and remaining oil, toss to combine and divide among bowls. Top with parmesan and serve with lemon wedges.

Note: Cime di rapa, also known as broccoli raab, may need to be ordered from greengrocers. Substitute kale, cavolo nero or Japanese turnip tops.

Wednesday, 16 May 2018

Silverbeet is the workhorse of the vegetable patch. Come rain or shine, cabbage moths or blight, the silverbeet just keeps growing,. We grow a variety called fordhook giant with deep green leaves and thick white stems; each part of the plant is delicious. When I’d had my first baby and thought I’d die of starvation if I had to eat another bite of hospital food my mum arrived with a tray of these silverbeet rolls and I think they saved my life. A complete meal in one small dish.

Silverbeet rolls ingredients

50 gm (¼ cup) long-grain rice

2 bacon rashers, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

500 gm coarsely minced beef

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp thyme, plus extra leaves to serve

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp sweet paprika

Leaves from 1 bunch of silverbeet (about 10) stalks removed

400 ml tomato passata

100 ml beef or chicken stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 fresh bay leaves

Steamed rice and chopped

flat-leaf parsley (both optional), to serve

Silverbeet rolls preparation

Cook rice in a large saucepan of boiling water until par-boiled (5 minutes). Drain well and set aside.

Add bacon and onion to a frying pan over medium heat and stir occasionally until fat renders and onion is softened (10-12 minutes). Add garlic, stir to combine, then cool completely. Add beef, egg, thyme, mustard, paprika and ½ cup cooked rice, season to taste and combine well, then refrigerate until required.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place silverbeet leaves in a large colander placed in the sink. Pour boiling water over the leaves, lifting them out of the colander with tongs as they collapse. Cool under cold running water, then gently squeeze out excess water. Cut larger leaves in half.

Spread each leaf flat on a work surface, spoon about ¼-cup mince mixture onto the top of each leaf, then roll to enclose filling, tucking the sides over as you go. Transfer to a small roasting pan, seam-side down (the rolls should fit snugly). Combine passata, stock, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves in a jug, season to taste and pour it over rolls. Cover with foil and bake until cooked (50 minutes to 1 hour). Top with extra thyme or chopped parsley and serve with rice.

Tuesday, 15 May 2018

Pastry, caramelised apple and ice-cream is a combination that’s pretty hard to beat. This is more or less a fine apple tart, but the apple goes just that bit further to become almost like an apple-sauce topping.

Squished apple tart ingredients

Half a 375gm sheet of butter puff pastry

4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and halved

110 gm (½ cup) caster sugar

10 gm unsalted butter

Vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Squished apple tart preparation

Preheat oven to 190°C. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick rectangle and cut out a 20cm x 30cm rectangle. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper, top with a sheet of baking paper and another tray. Bake until golden and crisp (18-22 minutes).

Meanwhile, cut apple halves into 2mm-thick slices with a mandolin and arrange in rows on an oven tray lined with baking paper to form a rectangle the same size as the pastry (trim edges). Sprinkle 50gm sugar over apple and dot with butter, then bake until apple softens (8-10 minutes).

Top apple with pastry, another sheet of baking paper and an oven tray, flip over so the tart is inverted with the apple on top, then weight top with a small ovenproof saucepan and bake until apple is soft and pastry is crisp. (8-10 minutes). Remove from oven, then remove top tray and baking paper.

Monday, 14 May 2018

A fresh spin on a custard tart that’s rich but kept in line by the sourness of lemons and buttermilk. Pâte sablée can be difficult to work with if it warms up; if it is a warm day, consider rolling the pastry out between two sheets of baking paper, then chilling it briefly again before lining the tin.

Lemon buttermilk tart ingredients

400 ml well-shaken buttermilk

6 large egg yolks

110 gm (½ cup) caster sugar

90 gm butter, melted and cooled

Finely grated rind of 1½ lemons, plus 2 tbsp lemon juice

1½ tbsp plain flour

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

40 gm (½ cup) roasted flaked almonds, to serve

Pure icing sugar, for dusting

PÂTE SABLÉE

250 gm (1⅔ cups) plain flour

60 gm pure icing sugar, sifted

200 gm chilled butter, diced

2 egg yolks, plus 1 beaten eggwhite for brushing

Lemon buttermilk tart preparation

For pâte sablée, place flour on a work surface, add sugar and butter and rub in butter with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form. Add yolks, 2 tbsp iced water and a pinch of salt and lightly knead with the heel of your hand until the pastry just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (2 hours). Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to 5mm-thick round and line a 28cm-diameter loose-bottomed fluted tart tin, then refrigerate to rest (1 hour).

Preheat oven to 180°C. Blind-bake tart until golden on the edges (15-20 minutes), remove paper and weights and bake until golden and crisp (5-7 minutes), then brush base with eggwhite, bake for 1 minute to seal, then reserve until required.

Meanwhile, blend buttermilk, yolks, sugar, butter, lemon rind and juice, flour, vanilla and ¾ tsp salt in a food processor until combined. Transfer to a jug and allow foam to settle (20-30 minutes), then skim foam from top and discard.

Reduce oven to 175°C. Place tart base on an oven tray, transfer to oven, then carefully pour buttermilk mixture into tart case and bake until just set with a slight wobble in the centre (20-25 minutes). Set aside to cool to room temperature (1½-2 hours), then top with flaked almonds and dust with icing sugar to serve.

Mum always focused on ensuring her four children had very nutritious meals, we grew up eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetable from the local market. She was an inspiration to me, a practical cook who planned well and kept to a tight budget. Nutrition was the focus at home, we didn’t have a pantry of lollies, biscuits or anything sweet. If we were still hungry after dinner, Mum’s catchphrase was ‘have an apple’, which I now say to my son. Although treats were rare, on occasion she did make this family favourite pudding.

Lemon delicious pudding preparation

Preheat oven to 170°C. Beat butter, sugar and lemon rind in an electric mixer until pale (2-3 minutes). Add yolks, one at a time, beating well to combine between each addition, add flour, then gradually add milk, mixing until a smooth batter forms. Scrape down sides of bowl and stir in lemon juice. Transfer batter to a bowl and clean and dry mixer bowl thoroughly.

Whisk eggwhites in an electric mixer until firm peaks form, then gradually add to batter, gently folding in until well combined. Pour into a 1.5-litre ceramic dish, place in a deep baking tray, transfer to oven, then fill tray with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of dish.

Bake until risen and golden brown on top (40-50 minutes). Cool briefly (5 minutes), then dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.

CHEESY TOASTS

Broccoli soup and cheesy toast ingredients preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add leek, celery and garlic and stir occasionally until translucent (4-5 minutes). Add potato, broccoli cores and thick stalks and stock to just cover, season to taste and simmer until very soft (20-25 minutes). Add broccoli florets and finer stalks, simmer until just cooked (2-3 minutes), then blend with a hand-held blender until smooth.

Meanwhile, for cheesy toasts, preheat oven to 220°C. Combine cheese, sauces and egg in a bowl, and season lightly to taste. Spread onto bread, transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake until golden and bubbling (10-12 minutes). Cut into fingers.

Season soup to taste, divide among bowls, and top with a spoon of sour cream, chives and a drizzle of oil. Serve hot with cheesy toasts.

Thursday, 10 May 2018

Chicken curry with accompaniments was the equivalent of a roast dinner in our family when I was growing up. The scent of all the spices and aromatics, which were pounded in a mortar and pestle, would waft out of the kitchen, and it would seem an age before we got to sit down to enjoy it.

Chicken curry with pickled pineapple ingredients

1 chicken (about 1.5kg), jointed into 12 pieces

1 onion, coarsely chopped

5 garlic cloves

15 gm (about 3cm) ginger

1 tsp belacan, roasted (see note)

1 tbsp canola oil

1 lemongrass stalk, bruised and cut into 3 pieces

1 star anise

450 gm (about 3 small) sebago potatoes, quartered

250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk

1 sprig fresh curry leaves

3 tsp grated palm sugar, or to taste

Steamed rice, to serve

PICKLED PINEAPPLE

10 small garlic cloves

5 long red chillies, chopped

30 gm (about 6cm) ginger, coarsely chopped

30 gm (about 6cm) galangal, finely grated

2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, finely chopped

2 tsp ground turmeric

125 ml (½ cup) canola oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar

1 ripe pineapple (about

1kg), cut into 2cm pieces

CURRY POWDER

1 cinnamon quill

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

2 cloves

2 cardamom pods, bruised

4 dried red chillies, coarsely chopped

1 tsp white peppercorns

1 tsp ground turmeric

Chicken curry with pickled pineapple preparation

For pickled pineapple, blend garlic, chilli, ginger, galangal, lemongrass and turmeric in a small food processor until smooth, adding a little oil to loosen if necessary. Heat oil in a saucepan over low heat and fry paste until it darkens slightly (20 minutes), then stir in vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp salt. Remove from heat and cool, then add pineapple, stir to coat, and refrigerate to marinate (1 hour).

Place chicken in a large bowl, rub with 1 tbsp curry powder and 1 tsp salt and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pound onion, garlic, ginger and belacan to a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry paste until fragrant and onion is cooked out (5-6 minutes). Add lemongrass, star anise and remaining curry powder and fry until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add chicken and 250ml water, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is half-cooked (15 minutes). Add potato, coconut milk and curry leaves, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potato is tender and chicken is cooked (25-30 minutes). Season with salt and palm sugar and serve with rice and pineapple pickle. Note Belacan is a shrimp paste available from Asian grocers. To roast it, wrap it in foil and roast in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes.